If there's one thing thing I love, it's getting crafty and interior design. So, when u/brienoconan asked people to share their "room hacks" that enhanced the design of their room while on a budget, I was alllll ears. People gave some seriously useful tips, especially those that are renter-friendly, small space-friendly, and most importantly, budget-friendly. Below, some of the most useful hacks I found:
1. Starting off strong with the #1 most upvoted reply: "Make use of vertical space: shelves, racks, areas under tables/beds. Helps increase walking room and reduce the feeling of clutter."
2. "IKEA shelves make great bed frames. Source: my studio apartment."
3. "Mirror prices increase exponentially with the size of the individual mirror, but a bunch of smaller, cheaper mirrors arranged neatly can have the same mental effect as a much larger mirror and make a small room feel more spacious."
4. "Add some plants. You can get some in the $30 range that are a decent size, and then some succulents or cacti for even less."
5. "I read one of those articles that were like, '10 Ways to Show Others You Got It Together.' One of them was filling a bowl full of lemons and putting it on a table or shelf. I chuckle whenever I go to someone's place and they have a bowl like this filled with lemons. Looks great, though, and they do tend to be people that I think have got things together."
6. "Thrift stores and Goodwill (my favorite are the outlets). I get my decorations almost exclusively secondhand because they are more unique and much cheaper. I've found lamps, mirrors, tapestries, blankets to drape over chairs and couches, plus little trinkets, and paid very little."
7. "Get curtains. Decoratively, curtains fill a lot of space on your wall. They're also the best window treatment because you can darken the room or leave them totally open and pull back the sheers if you have a great view."
8. "There's a site called Copycat Chic that shows you more affordable home furnishings that look just like higher end stuff... Sometimes, it's a lot cheaper. They also recreate fancy rooms with cheaper options."
9. "If you have any big, empty walls: You need something on those walls. One thing that you see in pictures and magazines is that there aren't big barren areas. Most people put up one or two pics, and they're done. The pics are evenly spaced, there's something on the wall, but it's just not that great to look at. You need bigger art."
10. "Place your lighting on dimmers (or dimmer switches in the wall). Controlling the lighting for 'just the right mood' and visual accent makes a decided difference in how everything looks and feels."
11. "I [visited] a cottage that looked like it was decorated by Martha Stewart. I tried to put my finger on why it was so nice, and one of the biggest things was that they painted most of the furniture the same color. A can of spray paint and some thrift store solid wood stuff. This looked amazing and tied everything together."
12. "Patience. If you can accept the room not being perfect, holding out for the ideal thrift store or clearance find is the way to go... Alternately, if you live in a rich area, you will not believe what people give away for free on Craigslist. I’ll never pay for house stuff again."
13. "Frame anything that goes on the wall. No more thumb-tacked posters. Frame it, even in a cheap frame. Instantly, your decor will look more put-together."
14. "Lower your lights, literally! Do as the Danish do, lower your light sources to the middle of the wall/room or lower. It brings people's attention to the front of them, and brings better attention to each other. Better, calmer ambiance."
15. "Floating shelves. You can easily make them with any long, flat piece of wood (provided it's surfaced/smooth) and simply buy the mounts for pennies on the dollar. Bigger ones will require some anchors and/or a stud to drill into, but they fill up space and allow you to show off all your knick-knacks without needing excessive table space."
16. "If you want a room to feel cozy and relaxing, use indirect light (lamps, spots pointing towards the ceiling). It's even better if it's more 'yellowish.' If it's a place you need to work in and focus more, then get direct white light."
Do you have any budget-friendly room design hacks that made a complete difference for your space? Let me know in the comments below, or submit your reply using this anonymous form.
Note: Some submissions have been edited for length and/or clarity.